WELLINGTON — New Zealand’s Kordia, the government-owned broadcast and communications company, must end its DAB trial by June 30, according to the Government’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, reports nbr.co.nz.
NBR is also reporting that Kordia has written to Clare Curran, the broadcasting minister, to override the notice from MBIE, and extend the trial, which started in 2006, using spectrum in band III, left over after the analog TV switch-off and 4G auction.
The ministry of Culture and Heritage will now make a recommendation to Curran as to whether or not DAB should be licensed for the commercial market, according to the same article.
In Australia, the Melbourne-based company Aqipa has re-launched the UK digital radio brand Pure in Australia. Pure CCO Rob Haycock asserts it’s a “fantastic market for digital radio,” with Gfk data revealing live radio remains “number one,” despite the rise of streaming media, according to channelnews.com/au. “As the pioneers of digital radio, we’re confident that Pure’s core competencies of good, British engineering along with stylish design will be appealing and well received by our consumers, especially as the roll out of DAB+ continues across the country.”
Pure claims to be a “pioneer of digital radio,” and the first to “fully embrace” the technology in 1999, having sold 5,000,0000 units worldwide in the meantime, according to the same article.
